Advancement Director

Position Title: Advancement Director

Reports To: Executive Director

Position Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Compensation: Tier 5 (Range: $70,200 - $93,703)

Position Summary

Groundworks Collaborative seeks a visionary and strategic leader to join our senior leadership team as Advancement Director. This expansive role is critical to Groundworks’ mission to end homelessness and hunger in our region. The Advancement Director is responsible for leading all development, communications, and community relations efforts, including strengthening capacity and diversifying funding resources while strengthening community, board, and volunteer engagement.

This position is located in Brattleboro, Vermont, with regional travel as needed. To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, and references to: Libby Bennett, Executive Director:

Organizational Background

Groundworks Collaborative operates at the intersection of immediate crisis response and systemic change, addressing the urgent needs of people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity while working toward long-term solutions. Our work is guided by a clear vision of what we aspire to create and a focused mission that drives our daily efforts.

• Vision - We envision a community in which all people have their basic needs met, including a safe and dignified place to call home.
• Mission - We work with people and systems, creating solutions to end hunger and homelessness for all people in our region.

For over 46 years, the organizations that now comprise Groundworks Collaborative have been serving Brattleboro and surrounding communities. Formally established in 2015 through the merger of the Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center and Morningside Shelter, Groundworks has grown from a small operation with seven staff members to an organization of nearly 50 employees serving over 5,000 people annually.

We view poverty, housing, and food insecurity to be byproducts of societal conditions, generational discrimination, and public policy, rather than the result of individual choices. Therefore, Groundworks fosters a culture of nonjudgment and compassion for the people we serve.

In the coming years, we envision a re-energized Brattleboro region where there is less human suffering, more social connection, and more collaboration across diverse perspectives, because Groundworks Collaborative has been central to collaborations that have shifted the local narrative and made visible progress toward meeting people's basic needs—especially in shelter, housing, and food security. As a result, we expect Groundworks to be in a position to launch a 50th anniversary campaign in 2029 with support from a broad group of stakeholders that extends well beyond our current base.

Position Responsibilities & Qualifications

The Advancement Director role is a growth position that will drive core pieces of our strategic plan, leading a small but powerful team to uplevel our capacity and diversify our funding. We seek energized, mission-aligned candidates who can bring their skills, leadership experience, and relationship skills to our leadership team during an important moment for Groundworks Collaborative, our local community, and our state.

Groundworks’ Organizational Values to Embody:

• Responsive: We are energized by making a difference in people's lives. We show up.
• Affirming: We act with positive regard for the people we serve and each other.
• Safe: We uphold boundaries out of respect for each other and to promote a safe and healthy environment.
• Credible: We are trusted by our clients, our partners, our supporters, and our community.
• Systematic: We are determined, resourceful, tenacious, creative, and resilient.
• Savvy: We are planful, strategic, opportunistic, and we're working toward long-term social change.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Fund Development:

• Goal Setting and Planning: Develop and implement short- and long-term goals for diversifying funding resources in collaboration with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, Advancement team, and the senior leadership team.

• Fundraising Leadership: Direct initiatives to raise $1.1 million annually for general operating, with an ambitious growth target to $1.5 million within three years alongside planned capital and endowment campaigns. This includes overseeing corporate, individual, and foundation giving.

• Development Strategies: Manage solicitation efforts, including annual appeals, grant opportunities, donor targeting, event planning, and major/planned/endowed giving to increase sustainable unrestricted revenue.

• Major Gifts: Responsible for building and executing Groundworks’ major gifts fundraising. This includes developing new strategies to identify and cultivate prospects in collaboration with the Executive Director and the Advancement team, as well as managing and cultivating relationships with existing major donors and prospects.

• Donor Relations: Lead strategies for cultivating and retaining individual donors of all levels, ensuring a robust donor pipeline.

• Private Grants Management: Oversee proposal development, grant research, compliance, planning, and reporting processes while building effective relationships with philanthropic foundations.

• Reporting and Analytics: Prepare monthly progress reports for the Executive Director and Board, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of sector practices and trends.

2. Board, Senior Leadership, and Community Relations:

• Board Engagement: Collaborate with the Board of Directors and Development & Communications Committee to create and execute effective strategies. Facilitate Committee meetings in partnership with the Committee Chair, provide development activity reports, and offer training on donor cultivation that helps ensure board members are engaged and energized.

• Ambassadorship: Act as a spokesperson for Groundworks, articulating the mission to external constituents, building strong relationships with community members, partner organizations, and government agencies.

• Leadership: Partner with the Executive Director, Board Chair, and Development & Communications Committee Chair on solicitation efforts. Personally conduct major gift solicitations.

3. Engagement & Operational Excellence:

• Event Planning: Supervise events for fundraising, community relations, and volunteer appreciation. Evaluate return on investment and develop integrated strategies.

• Communications & Marketing: Ensure consistent messaging and branding across all communications. Manage solicitations, general and crisis communications, social media, and brand marketing. Oversee the development of an annual external communications calendar to ensure continuous engagement while raising the visibility of the organization.

• Volunteer Systems: Strengthen and oversee the volunteer function to encourage community and corporate engagement, and to cultivate donors and board prospects. Collaborate with program teams to meet volunteer goals.

4. Leadership, Team, and Department Development:

• Team Supervision: Provide visionary leadership to the Advancement Team, fostering professional growth and alignment with Groundworks’ core values and mission.

• Organizational Strategy: Contribute to strategic planning and decision-making processes, ensuring effective implementation and measurement of organizational goals. Build a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization and the Board of Directors.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience in a senior fundraising role with a track record of successful fund development and donor relations.

• Strong leadership and management skills with experience in supervising and motivating teams.

• Success in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-net-worth donors and implementation of donor engagement strategies.

• Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities with a keen understanding of development, marketing, and public/community relations best practices.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage and inspire a diverse range of stakeholders.

• Experience with grant writing, brand and event marketing, and management, and familiarity with donor CRM systems.

• Experience with food security, housing support organizations, mental health, public health, or healthcare organizations.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All employment decisions at Groundworks Collaborative are based on business need, job requirements, and individual qualifications. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, height, weight, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Groundworks Collaborative provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Employees who are qualified individuals with disabilities covered by ADA and/or any applicable state and local disabilities laws and who require reasonable accommodations should discuss potential accommodations with the HR director. It is the employee's responsibility to notify Groundworks Collaborative of the need for reasonable accommodations and to provide medical documentation upon request. Medical information will be kept confidential.

The salary range for this position is $70,200 - $93,703, moreover, we are proud to offer benefits valued at up to $38,000/year for Director level positions.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $70,200.00 - $93,703.00 per year

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• 403(b) matching
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person

Salary : $70,200 - $93,703